Neurodiversity Support Office
What is Neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity is the neurological differences among people. It is normal for human brains to intake, process, and express information in different ways. Neurodiversity is a strength and contributes to our experiences in the world. The NSA can assist any self-identifying or questioning neurodivergent student (no diagnosis needed) in navigating university life on or off campus. Some students may or may not identify with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or learning challenges. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this topic or would like to discuss further, we would love to hear from you.
How we support students:
- Find positive ways to cope
- Improve personal functioning
- Enhance your strengths
- Increase confidence in your academic ability
- Make general improvements to your well-being
- Navigate systems on- and off-campus
- Access culturally relevant wellness supports
- Goal-setting and achieving those goals
- Offering supportive check-ins as needed
Neurodiversity Support Advising Drop-In Options:
When: Wednesdays from 2:00 - 4:00pm
Where: Writing Symbols Lodge (MSC 390Z)
Who will I meet: Jess Lopez (they/them), Neurodiversity Support Advisor
How to Access:
Students interested in speaking to Jess can arrive to Writing Symbols Lodge (MSC 390Z), on the third floor of MacEwan Student Centre, and look for the NSA Advising sign on the drop-in door. Jess will be there to answer any questions and offer support options.
Neurodiversity Workshop and Education
The Neurodiversity Support Office (NSO) team offers neurodiversity workshops that can be geared towards students or staff & faculty.
You can submit a request for a workshop through the Student Wellness Services website by clicking the link below. Please select "Neurodiversity Support" and fill in the requested information, the next section will then offer more specific options for you to choose from or will allow you to create a customized workshop request. A member of our team will follow-up with you from there.
Autism Campus Prep (ACP) is an online post-secondary preparedness course. This free resource gives an in-depth understanding of the academic and non-academic changes students may encounter, and how to plan for life after graduation. The course is authored by Autistic self-advocates for anyone who wants to feel empowered to navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with a post-secondary experience.
The full course is nine (9) modules, and may take approximately four (4) hours to complete. Learners can pace the learning to fit their lifestyle.
Users must make a free account on Sinneave Connects, and then navigate to Autism Campus Prep through the search bar.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are several options to book an appointment with an NSA. Appointments are offered throughout regular business hours (9:00am - 4:00pm, Monday to Friday) and can be offered virtually or in-person on Main Campus at the University of Calgary.
- By phone: Call Student Wellness Services at 403-210-9355. Phone lines are monitored by our Mental Health Client Coordinator from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding holidays).
- Online: Students can book online by clicking here. Students will be asked to sign in with their MyUCalgary credentials. Please make sure to select "Neurodiversity Support Advising - I want an appointment."
There are two NSAs in the Neurodiversity Support Office:
Kirstin Kot (she/her) - kirstin.kot@ucalgary.ca
Jess Lopez (they/them) - jess.lopez@ucalgary.ca
There is no cost to access services provided by neurodiversity support office or any medical or mental health support provided at Student Wellness Services.
When booking an appointment, you will be asked to complete some online paperwork prior to meeting with one of the NSAs. If booking by phone, an email will be sent to you with a link to complete the paperwork. If booking online, you will complete the forms at the time of booking.
We may contact you if we need more information from you, or have any questions about your forms. If you opted in to text message reminders, you will receive a reminder two days prior to your scheduled appointment.
If you booked a virtual appointment, you will receive a meeting invite via email to your UCalgary.ca email address to use for the appointment. Please make sure to accept this meeting request.
You are not required to bring or prepare anything specific for your appointment. Your UCID card can be helpful if you would like to access additional services discussed in your appointment.
NSAs provide support to any current students who self-identify as neurodivergent - no diagnosis is needed. We will never ask you to disclose or prove a diagnosis.
If you have been diagnosed with a disability (with or without documentation), please visit Student Accessibility Services (SAS) for more information on services and supports related to academic accommodations.